The third round of talks by a Punjab government-appointed panel of three IAS officers with the family of slain anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota and the Insaaf Committee on Friday failed to make much progress as the protesters continued to stick to their demand for resignations by chief minister Bhagwant Mann and state police chief Gaurav Yadav as a precondition for allowing the autopsy.
The court also granted four-day remand of Ashwani’s wife Neelam Rani. They were subsequently lodged in Central Jail, Bathinda, and Central Jail, Ferozepur, before being brought to the Mohali court. The accused’s counsel opposed further custody, arguing that Punjab Police had already interrogated them and handed over the documents, information and electronic records collected during its investigation. The court, however, allowed the CBI’s applications, citing that although Punjab Police had already interrogated them in custody, the agency would conduct a fresh investigation and collect evidence independently.
Punjab Police had arrested Ashwani Kumar and Vipin Garg on October 14, Neelam Rani on October 15, and Laddi Singh on October 16, according to the court order.
The agency told the court that custodial interrogation was necessary to establish relevant facts and circumstances connected with the crime and to collect evidence, including electronic devices and digital records. Mohali After taking over the murder probe on Wednesday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday secured five-day police remand of prime accused Ashwani Kumar and his two aides after producing them before a special judicial magistrate in Mohali.
“The family has agreed to the unanimous decision of the Insaaf Committee that without the two resignations, Jhota’s autopsy and cremation will not be allowed,” said Manik Goyal, a member of the Insaaf Committee, which has been spearheading the agitation. She said the state government also recommended a CBI probe as demanded by the family and the federal agency had started the investigation. Riyait said that during the Friday meeting, the family was assured that the state will recommend the CBI to put the trial in a fast-track court.
For 10 days since the October 13 murder, Jhota’s body has remained in the Mansa civil hospital mortuary without an autopsy, with the family demanding accountability before allowing the investigation to proceed.
